Study: Hot Dogs, Bacon Pose Big Health Risk

(CBS)  If you had a hunch eating bacon, sausage and hot dogs wasn't good for you, there's research to back you up.

Processed meats can increase the risk of heart disease by 42 percent and diabetes by 19 percent, U.S. researchers said Monday in the latest study on dietary health risks.

However, unprocessed lamb, pork or beef did not increase those health risks, according to a Reuters report, suggesting that increased salt and chemical preservatives of processed foods may be the real culprits.

The study, which was an analysis of other research, didn't look into meat's role in developing high blood pressure or cancer.

"To lower risk of heart attacks and diabetes, people should consider which types of meats they are eating," said Renata Micha of the Harvard School of Public Health, who authored the study.

"Processed meats such as bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs and processed deli meats may be the most important to avoid," Micha said in a statement.

The study, which appeared in the journal Circulation, was questioned by the American Meat Institute.

"At best, this hypothesis merits further study. It is certainly no reason for dietary changes," James Hodges, the organization's president, said in a statement.

Micha and her colleagues reviewed around 1,600 separate studies to investigate the differences in health risks between processed and unprocessed red meat. Processed foods were any that were smoked, cured, salted or had chemical preservatives added, including bacon, salami, hot dogs, sausages or processed deli meats.

The evidence suggested that on average, each 1.8 oz serving of processed meat - the equivalent of one hot dog - was linked to higher risks of heart disease and diabetes.

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money06]

by Chris1024b May 19, 2010 4:09 AM EDT
Mmmm, grilled bacon wrapped hotdog....
============================================

I like my bacon-wrapped hot dog filled with cheese, battered and deep fried.

Almost as good as a Scotch egg.

[Lawyers-Guns-n-Money06]

...or a Scotch egg with a scotch chaser.

[gruven13777]

It's pretty much a no-brainer when 1 serving size has 2500mg of sodium, and the second ingredient is high-fructose corn syrup, and the third ingredient is some preservative that you can't even pronounce.

Come on people.

[SunDog8259]

I have news, It isn't the hot dog that will get you -- it's those processed buns made from flour. I agree, it's best to avoid processed meats due to the additives, flavorings and even artificial coloring -- heck even rotisserie chickens get injected nowadays! I prefer grass fed, farm raised beef, pork, eggs and yellow butter when I can get it. Else I don't mind a sandwich made from a couple slices of bologna, with a slice of Swiss cheese in the middle and mayonnaise. The bologna becomes
"the bread."

[gruven13777]

You are right. You actually have to go out of your way to try and find bread that is not made with high-fructose corn syrup.

[RedWings_ninety_one]

by Nate650 May 18, 2010 5:04 PM EDT
It's not that simple. It's more important to eat whole, unprocessed foods than eat anything your heart desires and then magically cure the consequences through exercise. Chemicals, preservatives, and trans fat can't simply be "burned off."
________________________________________________
Actually it is, `00 years ago when practically everyone lived and worked on a farm, there were very few health problems because they were active. They ate what the farm gave them, Bacon and all of that crap.

[Nate650]

And during that time, chemicals, preservatives and cows injected with hormones and fed genetically-modified corn didn't exist either.

[Nate650]

RedWings_ninety_one, the changes to the food industry in the last 50 years have caused the greatest changes to our food in history. Cows are being fed industrial corn rather than their natural diet of grass. Approximately 90% of supermarket products contain either a highly processed corn or soybean ingredient. Corn oil, once considered "heart-healthy," is in fact the cause of many illnesses (industrial corn oil is highly refined and extracted using solvents such as hexane). The list goes on and on. Compare that with our change in exercise habits, and one can more easily conclude that the food is the problem. If one sticks to eating traditional foods, like those that were produced on farms 100 years ago, I'd be willing to bet the farm that we'd be a whole lot healthier.

[Empire-George-]

This is news ?

Somebody actually didn't already know that BACON wasn't the best food to eat ?

[Nate650]

There is no distinction made between industrial bacon which is loaded with preservatives like sodium nitrite, and uncured bacon from naturally raised animals. One is healthy in normal quantities and one isn't.

[Empire-George-]

by Nate650 May 19, 2010 1:22 PM EDT

I agree, natural bacon is much better quality.....however, I understood that all bacon is cured with salt, otherwise it is just a pork belley.....curing and smoking makes a pork belley become bacon, is it not ?

[fariborzzak]

suasage is bad.bacon is bad Iran is bad N.Korea is bad fast food is bad but paying more Taxes is GOOD.

[novamba]

Nothing like an all beef hotdog with a beer (or insert drink here) on a hot summer day...keep em coming!

[Living_the_High_Life]

There is 1 thing better. another beer :-)

[Gina1012]

But I really like bacon. :(

[ddog88]

They should do a study on if you stick a loaded firearm in your mouth and pull the trigger, is that bad for you?

[jimispod]

If the Marxist pigs had their way we would only be allowed to eat mud pies and grass. This is just the beginning of Big Brother diet control. I wonder when these freaks will outlaw meat?

[rf35]

Would you not expect Marxist pigs to be opposed to pork products?